SOUTH EAST WATER

SOUTH EAST WATER
WATER INDUSTRY ACT 1991
SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED
TEMPORARY BAN ON WATER USE
South East Water gives notice that, pursuant to sections 76 and 76A-C of the Water Industry Act 1991, it prohibits from the beginning of 5 April, throughout its entire area of supply (extending across parts of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire), the following uses of water supplied by it, subject only to the concessions here specified:
Prohibition:
(a) Watering a garden using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons
Concession:
? By persons over 65
? By persons who have a disabled person’s badge (known as a “blue badge”) issued under the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000
? Watering of newly laid turf for first 28 day period
? Watering with water efficient watering systems drip or micro irrigation
? For national and international sports events
Prohibition:
(b) Cleaning a private motor-vehicle (or a trailer for such a vehicle) using a hosepipe
Concession:
? By businesses specialising in hand car washing that use hosepipes as part of their processes
Prohibition:
(c) Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe
Concession:
? By persons over 65
? By persons who have a disabled person’s badge (known as a “blue badge”) issued under the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000
? Watering with water efficient watering systems drip or micro irrigation
Prohibition:
(d) Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
Concession:
? By small commercial operators by agreement with South East Water
? Cleaning of a vessel used as a primary residence
? Where fouling is causing increased fuel consumption
? Removal of graffiti
? Cleaning engines designed to be cleaned with a hosepipe
Prohibition:
(e) Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
Concession:
? Pools with a water conservation recycling system
Prohibition:
(f) Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
Concession:
? No concessions
Prohibition:
(g) Filling or maintaining a domestic pond (manmade or natural) using a hosepipe
Concession:
? The topping up of an established domestic pond if the welfare of fish in the pond is at risk
Prohibition:
(h) Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain (including a cascade or any other display of moving water, and includes filling by permanent plumbing)
Concession:
? No concessions
Prohibition:
(i) Cleaning walls, or windows, of domestic premises using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons
Concession:
? By small commercial operators whose businesses depend on work involving this, by agreement with South East Water
? Very low water use technologies
? Cleaning apparatus not connected to mains water supply
? Removal of graffiti
Prohibition:
(j) Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons
Concession:
? By small businesses whose sole operations are cleaning of hard standing, by agreement with South East Water
? By businesses where dust suppression is a requirement
? Removal of graffiti
? Low water use technologies
Prohibition:
(k) Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe, other than for health and safety reasons
Concession:
? By small businesses whose sole operations are cleaning of hard standing, by agreement with South East Water
? By businesses where dust suppression is a requirement
? Removal of graffiti
? Low water use technologies
For the meaning of certain terms used in this notice and specific exceptions from the prohibitions, see the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010. Amongst other things, that Order defines:
(a) using a hosepipe to include both drawing water supplied by South East Water at the time of the prohibition through a hosepipe from a container and also filling or partly filling a container with such water by means of a hosepipe;
(b) garden to include a park, gardens open to the public, a lawn, a grass verge, an area of grass used for sport or recreation, an allotment garden as defined in section 22(1) of the Allotments Act 1922, any area of allotment used for non-commercial purposes and any other green space; and
(c) health and safety to include removing or minimising any risk to human or animal health or safety and preventing or controlling the spread of causative agents or disease.
For the purposes of the prohibitions relating to the use of a hosepipe, the prohibitions apply whether or not any device such as a sprinkler is attached to the hosepipe.
Any person who contravenes any of these prohibitions is guilty of an offence, and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000.
Representations concerning any of these prohibitions may be made in writing by 29 March 2012 to Lee Dance at South East Water, Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent ME6 5AH. If, as a result of such representations, South East Water decides to vary any terms of the prohibition, a further notice will be published. Subject to this, the prohibitions will have effect from the beginning of 5 April and will remain in force until further notice.
Further details concerning the prohibitions and actions concerning the current drought may be found on South East Water’s website at www.southeastwater.co.uk
South East Water Limited Rocfort Road Snodland Kent ME6 5AH